This fall, two very different shows are quietly dominating the network charts — and their success is reshaping primetime for both CBS and ABC. Tracker, CBS’s survivalist drama starring Justin Hartley, has surged to the very top, while ABC’s breakout hit High Potential continues to impress with its multiplatform strength and huge demographic appeal.

On the CBS side, Tracker is proving that it’s not just a sleeper hit. According to premiere-week Nielsen data, the show delivered 13.0 million cross‑platform viewers, marking a big boost compared to its previous season. With this, CBS is leveraging Tracker as a linchpin of its primetime lineup — helping it continue to win night after night.

Meanwhile, ABC’s High Potential is not just keeping up — it’s excelling. The show’s Season 2 premiere exploded to 21.48 million total viewers over 35 days across ABC, Hulu, and Disney+, with a 3.90 rating in the 18–49 demo on its first week. ABC also claimed that High Potential became the No. 1 original broadcast series this fall among adults 18–49 across platforms.

What’s especially impressive is how these two shows complement each other in rating power:

Tracker brings in huge live + linear audiences, maintaining CBS’s traditional dominance.

High Potential, meanwhile, is adding massive streaming numbers, helping ABC bridge the gap between broadcast and digital.

The result? A rare dual-threat situation where both networks benefit — CBS with strong traditional TV viewership, and ABC with multiplatform growth and young-adult reach.

This kind of balance could signal a shift in how networks think about their flagship shows: it’s no longer enough to dominate on just one platform. With Tracker and High Potential, CBS and ABC are showing that the future is all about cross‑platform dominance — and they’re doing it with very different types of shows.

Which of the two do you think has more staying power — Tracker with its gritty drama, or High Potential with its multiplatform explosion? 👇